Long Term Verdict: 2006 Honda Ridgeline

The truck world has been turned upside down

When the Honda Ridgeline won our 2006 Truck of the Year competition, we fully expected the hard-cores to be outraged. "It's a modified minivan!" they screamed, claiming it didn't qualify as a truck because of its unibodychassis and transverse-mounted engine-and because it looks funny. Others, however, saw the Ridgeline as a cleversolution for those who didn't want the typical pickup trade-offs: stiff ride, horrible fuel economy, and miserablehandling. Now, after a year and 24,000 miles in our long-term fleet, the Ridgeline has ultimately made a few converts among our car-loving staff, some of whom would never consider themselves fans of anything with a pickup bed.

We put this vehicle through its paces, as evidenced by its ending odometer reading of 24,219-just about double the average number of miles generally put on a long-term truck-with several trips to Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, including stints as a chase vehicle for video and photography crews on multicar road trips into the mountains and deserts of California. At no time did our vehicle have any service issues, and it gave us a best real-world fuel-economy at 19.6 mpg during flat highway driving between 65 and 68 mph. Most of the combined city/highway fuel economy numbers hovered around 17.3, with the worst hitting 14.0 mpg when the truck was loaded with camping gear and four adults slogging through the desert with the A/C at max. On the highway, the Ridgeline averaged 350 to 370 miles on a tank before the "low fuel" light came on.

We ordered our Ridgeline in top-level RTL trim (Honda-speak for everything except a navigation system), but we needed the nav system, too, knowing this vehicle would be popular for the more outdoorsy staffers. Campers, fisherman, and motorcyclists used every square inch of storage and bed space in this Honda, specifically citing the rear-bed storage trunk as a huge asset for storing coolers, the catch of the day, and sweaty leather jackets. That Honda's first truck in the U.S. market is clever and well built is no surprise, but we did discover a few quirks. The first oddity was when the service lights started to flash at the 5000-mile mark. Like all conscientious enthusiasts, we took it into the dealership right away and were told the oil shouldn't be changed until the 7500-mile mark. Turns out Honda puts special break-in oil in new vehicles that needs to bond with the metals for a set amount of time.The "break-in" oil actually leaves behind slippery agents that reduce subsequent wear and use.

Still, there seems to be some confusion between the oil-life sensor on the vehicle and what a Honda dealer may be recommending. Later, when we did take it in for its first service, all went smoothly, as did the two later services (at 6000-mile intervals) as well. Two of our three services cost under $50, with our second (at 12,000 miles) costing $95 due to a more detailed inspection. Also, several door-handle clips were replaced under warranty, as requested by a Product Update letter we received in the mail.